Photo/Helen Lin
Edit/Hill
The green-tailed silkworm moth, a large moth, usually comes out at night and can occasionally be seen under street lamps, and the adults of the large silkworm moth family are generally very large, and they are the giants of the moths
Moths and butterflies belong to the same lepidoptera because they have scales on their wings, which other insects generally do not have. Butterflies are active during the day, while moths are mostly active at night. Lepidoptera is the second largest order in the world after Coleoptera ( commonly known as beetles ) . Moth species in an area are generally thought to be more than 5 times greater than those of butterflies, and moths account for the vast majority of Lepidoptera species.
A species of leaf moth with a coherent "leaf vein" on the wing surface
The leaf moth, another species, prefers to hide under the leaves, and the pattern is very complicated
A species of leaf moth, it is very small in shape and has a very cute posture when it inhabits
The hemp hook moth also simulates the appearance of dead leaves
There are 27 families of moths known in China, more than 7,000 species, and more species are still being discovered and studied. There are more than 2,000 species of butterflies recorded in China. Judging from the above two sets of figures, the moth species obviously did not reach 5 times that of the butterfly species.
The ventral surface of the broadband peak ruler moth (white-winged peak ruler moth) is close-up, and the pattern contrasts greatly with the front
The broad peak ruler moth (white-winged peak ruler moth) is close-up on the front, and the pattern contrasts strongly with the ventral surface
This is mainly due to the fact that most of the moths are active at night, and there are many very small species, which are difficult to observe and study; while the number of people who observe and study butterflies is relatively large, and the specimens are easy to collect. A comparison of the two scenarios shows how mysterious the world of the moth is.
The Dahlia lamp moth, the largest representative species of individuals in the lamp moth family
The Star Velvet Moth is close-up, with a stout body, and all moths do not sting people
Star velvet moth, found a dead leaf to accompany on rainy days, hoping that predators would think that they were also dead leaves
The common moths in Ningbo are the Great Silkworm Moth Family, the Tian moth family, the dead leaf moth family, the ulnar moth family, the nocturnal moth family, the spotted moth family, the stinging moth family (Yang Spicy), the lamp moth family, etc. Moths, like butterflies, are fully metamorphosed insects, and most of the larvae are important pests in agricultural production. The mouthparts of adult moths are also spring-like, do not sting, and have scales or fluff on their wings.
A species of larvae of the family Lycaenidae, the larvae of this family have a distinctive protrusion in the tail
The larvae of the ruler moth move like a mountain locust, and the larvae of the family Ulmus walk like this
The larvae of the ramie nocturnal moth, a fierce larvae of a temperament, will constantly shake its head with the slightest alarm
I remember the time I started paying attention to butterflies, 30 years ago when I just graduated from college. Without any relevant knowledge and information, I caught various caterpillars in the wild to raise, waiting for them to pupate and feather. If it was a butterfly that came out, I would be very happy. On the contrary, if it is a moth, I will feel very defeated, and at that time I only liked butterflies and hated moths.
The small bean long-beaked moth, like a hummingbird, travels through the flowers to collect honey, and its movements are very fast, and it is difficult to capture its images
The long black-beaked moth, the larvae feed on the leaves of the chicken excrement vine, and the hindwings have significant macula
Now the situation has completely changed, it is difficult to increase the number of new species of butterflies, and the number of moths is almost unlimited. In order to figure out the types and occurrence patterns of moths, I began to raise caterpillars of moths.
Persimmon ruler moth larvae, exaggerated head and thorax simulated into the shape of a small snake, its prosthetic eyes are very realistic, can be called "imitation master", the larva eats the leaves of Zhejiang persimmon
Recently, I caught a very interesting larvae of the family Ulmus in the wild on the leaves of Zhejiang persimmons, whose front body expanded into the shape of a snake's head, and at the top of which there were a pair of very realistic prosthetic eyes (the shape is very similar to the eyes, but by no means the real eyes). This is the strangest larvae of the family Lentifier family I have ever encountered in Ningbo, and I am called a "master of mimesis".
The persimmon ruler moth has just feathered, and through breeding observation, it finally matches the strange larvae and the cute adult, and its pupal shell is in the upper right
After a few days of breeding, they successfully cocooned pupae, and after more than 10 days, they began to feather a moth with black spots on a white background, which was identified as a moth called "Persimmon Star Ruler Moth", which looked like the pattern of adult wings was no less than that of ordinary butterfly wings. It's gratifying to be able to match this weird larvae with the cute adults.
The larvae of the dead leaf moth have 2 eye-catching eye spots on their backs, which also have the function of frightening predators
I occasionally see a coarse brown Lepidoptera larvae in the wild. They eat the leaves of vines such as woody and blackberry. The larvae have a very strange posture when resting, always raising their tails high and curling their heads, using their tails as snake heads to scare predators. Recently, I also brought it back to breeding, and soon a dead leaf moth was feathered, and finally the mystery that had puzzled me for many years was solved.
The dead leaf moth has just feathered out, and its forewings resemble dead leaves, hence the name, and the underside is its pupal shell
— The dead leaf nocturnal moth has just feathered out, the forewings resemble dead leaves, hence the name, and the hindwings have eye-catching eye spots, which also have the effect of scaring predators
The abdominal view of the adult leaf moth is simple and atmospheric, and the overall appearance resembles an animal's face
The larvae of the dead leaf moth can be called the master of disguise, and its adult insects are also masters of stealth, and the forewings are like dead leaves, hence the name. Pull out the forewings, and you can see that there is a striking eye spot in the yellow hindwing, which also has the effect of scaring predators.
The red lamp moth, which lives in dense forests, is very rare, and the forewings have regular black veins, which should also be a poisonous species
Venus ruler moth, a very common small moth
The long-winged ruler moth, which looks very much like a butterfly, prefers to come out during the day, but has a special flying attitude
Ventral view of the tiger moth (Tiger Moth family).
The tiger moth (Tiger Moth family) is very agile, the pattern is not inferior to that of a butterfly, a very rare moth
When I'm in the wild, I'm sure to keep an eye on the walls of buildings or the moths resting on the rock walls. Because many moths like to perch on rock walls, simulating gray wings into lichens on the wall, it is very clever, and the stealth effect is often excellent. However, there are also phenomena of Dong Shi Gong, which occurs because they find the wrong background.
The black-hearted red-browed moth (Spotted moth family), a very colorful and rare spotted moth
The black-hearted red-browed moth uses red to warn people: I am beautiful, but poisonous!
The grass-banded moth (Mothidae), with its striking yellow bands embedded in the black wings, is also a typical warning color, which is naturally the master who cannot be touched
Species of the moth family are usually venomous, both larvae and adult. The black-hearted red-browed moth is a very beautiful moth, and when it rests, the black wings are surrounded by a bright red ring. It is a warning to predators with a striking red color: I am beautiful, but poisonous, can only be viewed from a distance, not touched, otherwise the consequences are at your own risk!
The Chung Yang Wood Spotted Moth (Spotted Moth family), with a bright red body and black wings, is also a typical warning moth
The Chongyang Wood Spotted Moth, a very common black spotted moth with a red body, is also a typical warning color. Because of their high toxicity and no natural enemies, they often cause serious harm to the leaves of Heavy Yang Wood, and they only eat the leaves of Heavy Yang Wood. This moth is particularly common in urban areas, and when the larvae erupt, they will spit silk from the trees and hang down, making people who pass by the place creepy. When adult insects occur, this black moth is everywhere flying around, becoming one of the famous pests in the city.
The black-edged moss moth (lamp moth family), the larvae nibble on bryophytes, and the adults are brightly colored
The grimace moth is an adult, which prefers to perch under the eaves or tree poles during the day and is also a master of stealth
Finch moths, which usually come out at dusk
The frost moth, which often inhabits rocks or leaves during the day, treats itself as a dead leaf
The discolored nocturnal moth also resembles a dead leaf
Throughout the summer of this year, I have been searching for various moths in the wild in Ningbo and recording everything I have encountered. Although the summer is hard and tiring in the wild, the hot summer is the most active season for moths, and when the weather is cool, the moths will disappear.
The front pattern of the moth, notice that there is a pair of eye spots above, which has the effect of intimidating predators
The pattern of the belly of the Moth is very different from the front
The female of the nocturnal moth prefers to hide in the grass
The male of the nocturnal moth has eye spots on its forewings that resemble a gossip chart
Here I have collated photos of various moths taken in the wild in Ningbo this year, some of which are more common species and some of which are relatively rare. Looking forward to attracting everyone's attention and interest, in fact, the world of moths is also incredibly exciting and interesting.
Helen Lin August 31, 2021